Actuating and controlling mechanism for electric switches



ACTUATING AND CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES Filed May 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'Dec. 30, 1930. w. R. HUTTINGER 31 4 AG'IUATiNG AND CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES- Filed May 15. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j7wezzrk n er Patented Dec. 30, 1930 i WIL IAM .R. nnm'mcne, or rmpennnrnm, fnmrsyizvsm f AcroA'rnTe AND coN'm 'o n-Ine' mncnnmsm ron'nnncmnrc swImcHns nimation medley 1-5,

l Another object of the-invention is to proide a controlling device for s a. rhighatension electric ci-rcuit which compr ises ,f securin g 1 "mechanism; so mounted that either the I gmnnd switch or the regular switchlis necessarily engaged and held against operation while theother switch is liberated when actuetionthereof is'desired. f T I A fu-rth-er'objectoi the invention is topmvide an operating means 'for the .regular switchofi e high-tension electric circuit of such design that, when the switch is actuated, -a predetermined degreeot movement, whichcannot "be exceeded, is giigen to the parts by which the operation .of the switch is obtained. Thus damage toithe switch or the parts which it is mounted due;to..-too much movementor too great. an efiort on the part of 'the GPQI B,tOI,-iS averted.

@ther objects and advantages offithe invention are set forthin the iollowingde scription and thenovel features-are pointed out in the appended claims. Thedisclosure, however, is *illustrativeonlyand,1 may make changes which are not necessarilyshown on the drawings but, nevertheless, 'come within the, principle of the invention .as the claims define the samee e on said drawings:

Fig. 1. is a. side elevation -of a controlling device according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is etopiplan thereof-pend Fig. 3 is an end view seenirom the .left oiFig JQ. V I f O-nthe drawings-the sameinumerabiden- 5o tify the same pertsthnoughout.

. v5J1 he.munerel -1 a peirof vertical columns joined-by beams 2 with-reinforcing plates-r3 at the ends of the latter :to make a stronger connection between the beams 2 v and columns .1. This structure may be part of the towers of a transmission line-one pant 0f-the. =framework at the point where the rvoltege is "reduced for distribution to, consinners. 'Atetnisarod ordink which con nects with the ground :sw'iteh (not shown) end the numeral 5 indicates a rotateiile shaft which-extendslto the regular, circuit switch. Both of these switchesare 1 oceted..a.t, some distance .from the ground andiere not il. 1us-,

controlling apparatus actuating two switches. In all highetension install tions, the gronnd.switchcannot be elosedrunless the-citcuit switchvis opened, 'hecense-if {ates with. elementsstor ,preventing movement 011 the 4; .and shift 5 at the :same time. {Thelinkftis attaehedto a crank 9 on the shaft .10, :which projects from the ends of aieesing 1=1 securedto .a. plzfite .12, which is G n t n made fast to oneof the columns 1' :at the extremity :0f the member iii. The 10 will canny a gear inside the teasing; 11 and this gear. may be engegediey a. worm $13 on the sheft :Mi which;--,ca:nv he turned by creek 1'15. wHenc'e, rotation oiathemtank 1. by

*hasnd will the shaft "10: endlrase or low-en the "connection 4. Theshaft .10, pro je'cts "from b'oth side's of the casing 1 1 1 and on the *side opposite the crank 9 thisshztft Obviou ly, whenffihe opening; 17- ie in' lin'e with. the 6 end 'thiS nIeIr iber,- is .moxied'te the tight so that its, "end penetrates carries a. disk 16 heivingtn perforation 17.

- counterclockwise.

the opening 17, it will act like a lock bolt to prevent rotation of the shaft 10.

On the opposite extremity beyond the other columns 1, the member 6 carries an escapement wheel 18 mounted to turn on a stud or journal 19 fixed to the adjacent column 1. This escapement wheel may have a number of recesses 20 in its periphery, these recesses being seven in all. Below the escapement disk 18 is a shaft 22 carrying a fixed arm 23 hearing, at its outer end, an

escapement pin 24 which enters the recesses 2). The shaft 22 carries a crank 21 at one extremity with the escapement arm 23 behind the crank and the shaft 22 -passes through the column 1 and issupported in a suitable bearing on the beam 2 and carries an operating gear 25 tomesh with the gear 26 on the shaft Hence, the turning of thecrank 21 will rotate the shaft 5. The disk 18 will have an opening similar to the opening 17 for the adjacent end of the member 6. This member will be of such length that when it engages the disk 18, it will disengage the disk 16 and it must be moved to engage and stop one of these two disks before the other can be released and rotated. The member 6 carries a handle 27 so that it can'be shifted by hand, and it may have collars 28 to receive between them the forked end of a lever 29 whichmay be operated from aconv-enient foot-pedal or other means for the same purpose.

Therefore, it is clear that if the ground switch is to be operated, the member 6 must firstbe shifted to lock the disk 18, thus freeing the disk 16, sothat the crank can be turned. If the regular circuit switch is to be closed, the member'6 must be shifted in the opposite direction to lock the disk 16 and release the disk 18. Then, the crank 21 can be turned to actuate the gear and turn the shaft 5 through the gear 26. t

In Figure 3, the disk 16 is free but the disk 18 is locked. To rotate the shaft 5, the disk 16 must be turned to aline the opening 17 and the bar 6, The bar is then shifted to carry its adjacent end into the opening 17, and its opposite end out of the opening in the disk 18 to free the latter. The ground switch is now open.

When the disk 18 is liberated to allow the crank 21 to rotate the shaft 5 to throw the circuit switch, this crank can be rotated as -many times as there are notches 20 in the disk 18. That is to say, the crank can turn 5 seven times and the escapement pin 24 will engage the notches 20 in succession to turn the disk 18. Todo this, the crank 21 turns At the end of the seventh revolution, however,the pin 24 will strike a point of the circumference of the disk 18 which is not recessed and then the crank 21, the shaft 22 and the shaft5 can be turned no' further but must stop and can only be damage might result.

is generally connected to a column of insu-- lating elements placed one on top another in a well-known manner; the force being transmitted through the column, and if the shaft 5 were turned too much or too much force exerted, the column of superposed insulators would be considerably strained and disk 18 and escapement arm 23, however, obviates this risk and automatically stops further action as soon as the shaft 5 has been rotated to carry the switch parts into the desired 'POSltlOH. Hence no damaging stresses can be put upon the switch or the connections for-actuating it.

In order to lock the crank 21, when it has been turned through the regular switch connected to the shaft 5, the column 1 is provided with a pivotedyoke-shaped catch 31 mounted between a pair of perforated lugs 32 on the plate 33 affixed to the side of the adjacent column 1. At 34 is shown the pivot pin for the catch 31 and below this pin, the lugs 32 have openings for a padlock 35. Normally, the catch 31 will hang down between the lugs 32 out of engagement with the crank 21, but after the crank 21 has been moved to throw the circuit switch, the catch 31 will be lifted to engage the crank 21 on both sides; and then the padlock 35 can be put through the openings, holding the catch raised in operative position; The crank 21 cannot then be moved by any unauthorized person but will secure the parts in the desired position until the lock 35 through the openings is released and taken out. The catch 31 can of course secure the crank 21 at either end of its rotation. As will be apparent from Figure 3, the escapement disk 18 and arm 23 limit the motion of the crank 21 in both directions.

With this construction, it will be seen that not only is the simultaneous actuation of the two switches effectually prevented and theoperation of these switches, one at a time, assured; but also m urious strains cannot be put upon the parts which actuate the clrcuit switch through the shaft 5. The turning of The presence of the the crank 21 and shaft 22 beyond a given 71::-

point are positively prevented, and the crank 21 can then be secured against being tampered with by unauthorized persons or accidentally manipulated to reverse the shafts 22 and 25 and actuate the circuit switch when operation thereof is not desired. I claim: v

1.. An actuating and controlling device for a pair of switches comprising a connection for one of said switches, a crankfor moving of said crank when said connection, a shaft carrying said crank, a disk on said shaft having an opening, a second shaft, an esca ementdisk connected to permit operation 0 said second shaft, said disk also having a perforation, and .a bar slidably mounted between said disks and of such length that it cannot be Withdrawn jfrom the opening in one of said disks with out entering the perforation in the other, the

bar thus preventing simultaneous movement of said disks.

2. An actuating and controlling device for a switch comprising a crank, an arm carrying an escapement pin on said crank, an escapement disk rotatably mounted adjacent said crank to limit the number of rotations of said crank and means cooperative with,

said escapement disk for preventing the r0 tation of said crank when it has reached a predetermined position.

3. An actuating and controlling device for an electric switch comprising a crank, an arm on said crank bearing an escapement pin, and an escapement diskhaving recesses to cooperate with said arm, said recesses being located equal distances apart from the first to the last, and the first and last being separated by a greater interval to prevent continued rotation of the crank after the escapement pin engages the last of said recesses in the rotation of said crank and said disk,- and means cooperative with and adapted to engage said escapement disk to prevent rotation it has reached a predetermined Position- V 4. An actuating and controlling device for a pair of switches comprising a connection for one of said switches,a crank for moving said connection, a shaft carrying said crank, a disk on said shaft'having an opening, a second shaft for operating a second switch and provided with a crank, an arm on said last-mentioned crank carrying an escapement pin, an escapement disk having recesses adapted to cooperate with said arm and said pin, said recesses being located equal dis tances apart from the first to the last, the first and last recesses being separated by a greater interval to prevent continued rotationof the second-mentioned crank after the escapement pin engages the last of said recesses in the rotation of said second-mentioned crank and said escapement disk, said escapement disk also having a perforation, and a bar slidablv mounted between said first disk and said escapement disk and of such length that it cannot be withdrawn from the opening in one of said disks without entering the perforation in the other, whereby simultaneous movement of said first and second shafts is prevented.

.WILLIAM R. HUTTINGER, 

